Located just south of the famed high peaks areas of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, Mount Adams fire tower has become the center of a public debate over the question whether fire lookouts are compatible with wilderness designation. The first tower here was a wooden structure built in 1912 at the request of the Tahawus Club. In 1917 the state erected the present 47’ Aermotor LS-40 tower with 7’x7’ metal cab and staffed it until the mid 1970s. The ground house was constructed in 1922 with improvements made in 1950, Inactive for a number of years, the site had been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places as well.

Bill Starr, NHLR State Registrar, has furnished additional information: "The Observer's cabin at Adams is the first style of standard design cabin that the state began building at the fire towers. I call this cabin a Model 1922 for the year it was introduced. At Adams this cabin is the ONLY surviving Model 1922 in the state. The Friends of Mt Adams began restoration work on the cabin in Sept. of 2007 and the pictures are from that work day..."